This link is to the text and the video of Barack Obama’s speech after winning the Iowa Primary last night. The message in the speech is clear from the text but in the video he lifts it off the page.
I have been around long enough to experience the phenomenon of Jack Kennedy winning the U.S. Presidency and Trudeaumania in Canada. Watching the video late last night reminded me of those days. Obama is the real thing.
He is resonating as a youthful hopeful agent of change with a proven capacity to govern. Clinton’s “experience” and the Republican candidates who are all selling “fear and doubt and cynicism” are in stark contract to Obama.
He is breaking down partisan barriers and bringing in new voters, independent voters and young people back to politics. He is not pandering and not sugar coating the challenges and sacrifices that will be coming. But he also speaks to hope, and a sense of destiny and to the aspirations of Americans. I only hope we will get this kind of presence and inspiration from our federal and provincial politicians here in Canada soon.
Last night he captured all of those sentiments when he said “
I have been around long enough to experience the phenomenon of Jack Kennedy winning the U.S. Presidency and Trudeaumania in Canada. Watching the video late last night reminded me of those days. Obama is the real thing.
He is resonating as a youthful hopeful agent of change with a proven capacity to govern. Clinton’s “experience” and the Republican candidates who are all selling “fear and doubt and cynicism” are in stark contract to Obama.
He is breaking down partisan barriers and bringing in new voters, independent voters and young people back to politics. He is not pandering and not sugar coating the challenges and sacrifices that will be coming. But he also speaks to hope, and a sense of destiny and to the aspirations of Americans. I only hope we will get this kind of presence and inspiration from our federal and provincial politicians here in Canada soon.
Last night he captured all of those sentiments when he said “
I regularly download great speeches in history to my iPod. I expect this speech, given last night by a young black man running for President of the United States of America, will become one of them in due course.Years from now, you’ll look back and you’ll say that this was the moment – this was the place – where America remembers what it means to hope.
But we always knew that hope was not blind optimism. It’s not ignoring the enormity of the task ahead or the roadblocks that stand in our path. It’s not sitting on the sidelines or shirking from a fight. Hope is that thing inside us that insists, despite all evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us if we have the courage to reach for it, and to work for it, and to fight for it.”
Agreed - I'm with you in making this prediction. I've been thinking he might be the real thing for sometime now but last night's speech confirmed it for me. Obama will be the next US president barring something blowing up in his face.
ReplyDeleteWhether you agree with his politics or not you cannot deny he is a great orator and is reaching out to the under thirty demographic like no other front-runner ever has.
I think what's important about Obama is that he does not seem simply like a good governor of the United States, but an international diplomat as well.
ReplyDeleteI suspect that we will see very positive externalities should he become the next President of the United States, being the U.S. giant trading partner and neighbour.
Even if he loses this time around, I do sincerely hope that he does not give up, nor develop political cynicism over the years. Even if it's not his time, I suspect that he will be President at some point.
George W. Bush deserves a third term if it were not prohibited by the constitution.
ReplyDeleteGeorge Bush should be impeached and charged with war crimes.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to your commentary about how the liberal party of Canada chose to ignore democracy and instead appoint a candidate instead of allowing David Orchard to compete for the seat.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that you will spin it somehow as a positive event.
It was Clinton who was impeached and who should be charged with war crimes for failing to deal with Bin Laden when he had the chance.
ReplyDeleteAnon, this is Ken's blog and he tends not to post on the negative aspects of Dion's leadership. I doubt there will be a thorough analysis of Dion's decision.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who would not vote Democrat - if i was American - I like Obama as well.
ReplyDeleteIt remains to be seen if he has more than oratorical skill, but I would like to see him get the chance.
I agree Ken! This was one of the great speeches in history. I also download great speeches (like Martin Luther King Jr and JFK), but this one gave me chills! I really believe that Obama has an exciting vision for the US (which means the world), but I am still not sure the policies match the vision ... time will tell!
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